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Abstract:

The invention relates to gas turbine plants which can be used for gas
turbine locomotives and mobile and stationary power plants and which use
cryogenic gas fuel. The oil systems of a gas turbine engine and of
actuating units are designed in the form of individual adjustable flow
circuits each of which comprises fuel-oil heat exchangers, the cooling
medium of which his in the form of a cryogenic gas fuel, a delivery pump
and an oil tank. The cooling cavities of the fuel/oil heat exchangers are
connected, at the inputs thereof, to a fuel supply and adjusting device
and to a fuel heater, which is arranged, at the outputs thereof, in the
sleeve of the gas turbine engine. Said invention makes it possible to
design a low-consumption gas turbine plant provided with a small-sized
oil-cooling and fuel-heating system. The invention makes it possible to
recover the heat removed by oil from lubricated friction units of the gas
turbine engine and the actuating units driven thereby and to return said
heat to the thermodynamic circuit of the gas turbine engine. In addition,
the power consumption for needs of the gas turbine plant is reduced, the
structural design for the oil cooling system is substantially simplified
and the fuel heater can be of small size due to the fact that a cryogenic
gas is heated in the fuel/oil heat exchangers.

Claims:

1. A gas-turbine plant comprising a gas-turbine engine having a
compressor, operating on a cryogenic gas fuel and driving actuating
units, an air-processing device for the gas-turbine engine, a fuel system
with combustion chambers, a fuel heater mounted in the exhaust tube of
the gas-turbine engine, a device for supplying and controlling fuel to
which a fuel pipeline is connected from a reservoir for storing a
cryogenic gas fuel and which is connected to the combustion chambers by
fuel pipelines directly and via the fuel heater, a lubricating system for
the friction units of the gas-turbine engine and actuating units which
includes an oil cooling heat-exchanger, a supply pump and an oil tank,
characterized in that the oil cooling heat-exchanger is made as a
fuel-oil heat-exchanger using a cryogenic gas fuel as a coolant, the
lubricating systems for the gas-turbine engine and the actuating units
are made as separate controlled circulation circuits, each having its own
fuel-oil heat-exchanger, supply pump and oil tank, each cooling cavity of
the fuel-oil heat-exchangers being connected at its input side to the
device for supplying and controlling fuel and at its output side to the
fuel heater by fuel pipelines.

2. A gas-turbine plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the
device for supplying and controlling fuel is connected to oil temperature
sensors for friction units of the gas-turbine engine and the actuating
units.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]This invention relates to the field of gas-turbine plants intended
for use in gas-turbine locomotives, mobile and stationary power plants
and is characterized by usage of a cryogenic gas fuel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

[0002]A gas-turbine plant (GTP) for a two-unit gas-turbine locomotive
having a tender for a liquid heavy-oil fuel is known. The known
gas-turbine plant comprises a gas-turbine engine (GTE) having an axial
compressor driving alternators (actuating units) via a reduction gear, an
air-processing device for the GTE, a fuel system with combustion
chambers, a fuel heater, a fuel pipeline connecting the combustion
chambers to the tender fuel tank, a system for lubricating friction units
of the GTE and the alternators (actuating units), which comprises a
water-oil heat-exchanger, a supply pump and an oil tank. Oil in the
water-oil heat-exchanger is cooled by water coming via hoses from the
second locomotive unit where its temperature is lowered by a refrigerator
of a diesel-locomotive type. [1]

[0003]Several disadvantages of this gas-turbine plant are: [0004]a
lubricating oil for the GTE and the electric alternators is cooled by the
refrigerator for an auxiliary diesel-generator set of the gas-turbine
locomotive, which is arranged in the other locomotive unit; this makes
the inter-unit pipeline design more complicated and lowers its
reliability (especially in winter); [0005]extra power is required for
driving a fan for cooling a lubricating oil; [0006]loss of heat removed
by a lubricating oil from the friction units of the gas-turbine engine
and the alternators (actuating units).

[0007]GTPs of gas-turbine gas-compressor units are known wherein air-oil
or water-oil coolers (heat-exchangers) are commonly used as oil coolers;
in such cases several types of units comprise oil coolers mounted in the
GTP air-intake duct, and air passes through them to the engine compressor
input. [2]

[0008]Several disadvantages of this design are: [0009]air temperature
before the compressor raises by 3-5° C. in this design, which
lowers the GTP power and efficiency; [0010]there is loss of heat, which
is removed by oil from the friction units in the gas-turbine engine and
the actuating unit (pump), in heat-exchangers.

[0011]GTPs are known, wherein cooling air is supplied by electric fans
through an oil cooler. [2]

[0012]The disadvantage of these GTPs is that a need arises to purchase
electric fans with a control system, as well as extra expenses for power
consumed by them are required.

[0013]Furthermore, known GTP designs are characterized by loss of heat,
which is removed by oil from the friction units in the gas-turbine engine
and the actuating unit (pump), in heat-exchangers.

[0014]A gas-turbine plant for a jet gas-turbine locomotive is known, which
comprises a turbojet gas-turbine engine operating on a cryogenic gas
fuel, a compressor for this engine with the input channel having an air
intake, an air-cleaning device (air-processing device), a dual-fuel
combustion chamber, a heat-exchanger-gasifier (fuel heater) of a
liquefied gas heated by hot gases from the gas-turbine engine, system
units (devices) for supplying a gas fuel and for automatic control. [3]

[0015]Several disadvantages of this plant are: [0016]heat, which is
removed by oil from the friction units of the gas-turbine engine, is not
used; [0017]a liquefied gas is heated and gasified in the heat-exchanger
(heater) of fuel by hot gases from the gas-turbine engine only, which
requires large dimensions of the heat exchanger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018]The technical effect of this invention is the creation of an
efficient gas-turbine plant having a compact oil cooling system and a
fuel heater.

[0019]This technical effect may be achieved owing to that the gas-turbine
plant comprises a gas-turbine engine with a compressor operating on a
cryogenic gas fuel and driving the actuating units, an air-processing
device for the gas-turbine engine, a fuel system with combustion
chambers, a fuel heater mounted in the exhaust tube of the gas-turbine
engine, a device for supplying and controlling fuel to which a fuel
pipeline is connected from a reservoir for storing a cryogenic gas fuel
and which is connected to the combustion chambers by fuel pipelines
directly and via the fuel heater, a lubricating system for the friction
units of the gas-turbine engine and actuating units, which includes an
oil cooling heat-exchanger, a supply pump and an oil tank, wherein the
plant is provided with an oil cooling heat-exchanger made as a fuel-oil
heat-exchanger using a cryogenic gas fuel as a coolant, the lubricating
systems for the gas-turbine engine and the actuating units are made as
separate controlled circulation circuits, each having its own fuel-oil
heat-exchanger, supply pump and oil tank, each cooling cavity of the
fuel-oil heat-exchangers being connected at its input side to the device
for supplying and controlling fuel and at its output side to the fuel
heater by fuel pipelines.

[0020]Furthermore, the device for supplying and controlling fuel is
connected to the oil temperature sensors located in the friction units of
the gas-turbine engine and the actuating units.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the inventive gas-turbine plant
with the lubricating system and the fuel system.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022]The inventive gas-turbine plant (GTP) comprises a gas-turbine engine
(GTE) 1 with a compressor 2 operating on a cryogenic gas fuel and driving
actuating units 3, for example, alternators, pumps, etc., as well as an
air-processing device 4 for the GTE 1, a fuel system with combustion
chambers 5, a fuel heater (gasifier) 6 mounted in the exhaust tube 7 of
the GTE 1, and a device 8 for supplying and controlling fuel to which a
fuel pipeline 9 is connected from a reservoir for storing a cryogenic gas
fuel.

[0023]The GTP comprises lubricating systems for friction units (bearings,
contact seals, gears, splined joints) of the GTE 1 and actuating units 3
made for them as separate controlled circulation circuits with their own
oil-cooling heat exchangers 10 and 11 for the purpose of maintaining
optimal oil temperatures. The oil-cooling heat-exchangers 10 and 11 are
made as fuel-oil heat-exchangers using a cryogenic gas fuel, which is
supplied via the fuel pipeline 9, as a coolant. The controlled oil
circulation circuits of the GTE 1 and the actuating units 3 comprise
their respective supply pumps 12, 13 and oil tanks 14, 15 that are used
for charging the circulation circuits and removing excess oil from them.

[0024]The device 8 for supplying and controlling fuel is connected to the
combustion chambers 5 directly by the fuel pipeline 16 serving for
starting the GTE 1, and by the fuel pipelines 17 and 18 via the fuel
heater 6, wherein the pipeline 17 connects the device 8 to the fuel
heater 6, and the pipeline 18 connects the fuel heater 6 to the
combustion chambers 5.

[0025]The cooling cavities of the fuel-oil heat-exchangers 10 and 11 are
connected at their input sides to the device 8 for supplying and
controlling fuel by the fuel pipelines 19 and 20 and at their output
sides to the fuel heater 6 by the fuel pipelines 21 and 22.

[0026]Friction unit oil temperature sensors 23 are provided at the outputs
of the controlled circulation circuits of the GTE 1 and the actuating
units 3, which are connected (not shown) to the device 8 for supplying
and controlling fuel.

[0027]The gas-turbine plant may be operated as follows.

[0028]A cryogenic gas fuel is supplied via the fuel pipeline 9 from a
reservoir for storing fuel to the device 8 for supplying and controlling
fuel. Then fuel is supplied from the device 8 to the combustion chambers
5 via the fuel pipeline 16 during starting the GTE 1 and via the fuel
pipeline 17 through the fuel heater 6 during operation of the GTE 1 and
through the oil cooling cavities of the heat-exchangers (fuel-oil
heat-exchangers) 10 and 11 which are connected to the controlled oil
circulation circuits of the GTE 1 and the actuating units 3. Oil in these
circuits is supplied by the supply pumps 12 and 13 to the friction units
where it is heated and further supplied to the fuel-oil heat-exchangers
10 and 11 for cooling by the cooling resource of the cryogenic gas.

[0029]After heating in the fuel-oil heat-exchangers 10 and 11, a cryogenic
gas is supplied to the fuel heater 6 where it, together with a cryogenic
gas supplied via the fuel pipeline 17, is heated by gases escaping from
the GTE 1, transformed into the gaseous state (is gasified) and supplied
to the combustion chamber 5 via the fuel pipeline 18. Combustion products
having a high temperature and a high pressure are formed in the
combustion chamber 5 due to burning of a mixture of the fuel gas and
compressed air supplied from the compressor 2. These combustion products,
while expanding, set the GTE 1 into motion and after that exit from the
gas-turbine plant to the atmosphere through the exhaust tube 7 and the
fuel heater 6.

[0030]An oil temperature in the controlled oil circulation circuits after
escaping from the friction units of the GTE 1 and the actuating units 3,
is controlled by the device 8 for supplying and controlling fuel with the
use of the sensors 23.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0031]The proposed invention enables to return heat, which is removed by
oil from the lubricated friction units of the gas-turbine engine and the
actuating units driven by it, to the thermodynamic cycle of the
gas-turbine engine, which improves the efficiency of the gas-turbine
plant. Moreover, the power consumed for the plant intrinsic needs is
lowered, the design of the oil-cooling system is simplified to a great
extent, the fuel heater may be made in lesser dimensions due to heating
of a cryogenic gas in the fuel-oil heat-exchangers.